Convertible tub.



Patented Jan. 29, I90I.

N. F. HUBDEL. CONVERTIBLE TUB.

(Application filed Oct. 8. 1898.)

(No Model.)

W/ TNE SSE S 770/?NEYS.

(Application led Oct. 8, 1898.)

m 91 2 n. a I. d e t n e t a. P .m L T DE R..L UB HU .R FE .w NU. C 5.. 0 8s ...D 6 6 0. N

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

A TOHNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NELLIE F. HURDEL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CONVERTIBLE TUB.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 666,805, dated January 29, 1901. Application filed October 8, 1898'. vSerial No. 693.011. (No modeld .T0 all whom it may concern..-

YBe it known that I, NELLIE F. HURDEL, of-

may be quickly' raised or lowered, according to the use to which it is to be applied, whether it be empty or filled or partly filled with Water.

I will describe a tub embodying my invention and then point out the novel features in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying' drawings, forming a part of this specification,

in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure l is a top plan view of a tub embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a bottom view, and Fig. 4 isa partial section and partial side elevation.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a tub made of any suitable material and having a size substantially like 'that of an ordinary bath-tub. As the tub is designed to be used at times as a laundry-tub, I provide it with a removable partition 2. The side edges and bottom of this partition 2 are provided 'withj a exible packing 3, preferably consisting of a pneumatic tube. When in position, this packing will engage tightly in a channel 4, formed in the inner sides and on the bottom of the tub. For the purpose of drawing the packing tightly against the walls of the channel and holding the partition rigidly in position I employ a clamping-rod 5. This clamping-rod extends upward through a tube 6, arranged in the partition, and has its upper end made angular to be engaged by a key or crank for turning it. The lower end of the rod, which projects below the partition, is screwthreaded, as at 8, to engage in a screw-threadefl socket 9 in the bottom of the tub.

'The tub is centrally mounted on a pillarblock 10, movable vertically in a casing 11, which extends downward througha oor or platform 12. This pillar block, as here shown, consists of the lower section 10 and the upper section 10, the said section 10a being in the form of a boss integral with the tub, and the two sections are secured together by means of a drum 10b incasing them. To prevent any oscillating movement of the pillar-block in the casing, 1 have here shown the pillar-block as provided with a vertical web 13, engaging in a channel formed in the inner surface of the casing 11. The casing 11 is supported in an outer shell 14, to theA lower end of which is affixed by screws or otherwise a baise 15.

Arranged centrally in the pillar-block 10 is an interiorly-screw-threaded sleeve 16, with the threads of which a hoisting-screw 17 engages. This hoisting-screw 17 passes downward through an opening in the base 15 and on its lower end is provided with a pinion 18, which meshes with a gear-wheel 19, mounted to rotate on a stud extended downward from the base. The gear-wheel 19 meshes with a pinion 20, which is connected to a tubular shaft 2l, extended into and designed to rotate in a vertical pipe 22. The shaft 21 has its longitudinal opening made angular in cross-section, so as to receive the correspondingly-shaped end23 of ascrew-rod 24, mounted to rotate in the tube or pipe 22, and this screw portion of the rod engages with a thread formed within the upper portion of said pipe or tube 22. The pipe or tube 22 extends upward nearly to the top of the tub when the said tub is in its lowermost position, as plainly shown in the drawings. The upper end of the screw-rod 24 projects through a fiange 25 of the tub, and it has a collar 26, which engages with the lower side of the flange. The upper end of the rod 24 is made angular in cross-section to receive a key or crank for operating it. It may be here said that the crank or key may be employed both for the screw 5 and the rod 24.

While I have shown the rod 24 as extended through a flanged portion of the tub, it is obvious that it may be otherwise connected without departing from the spirit of my invention. Obviously by rotating the screwrod in one direction the gearing will be operated to rotate the screw 17, which will elevate the tub to its position for use in laundry purposes, and of course by rotating the screw-rod 24 in the opposite direction the tub will be lowered. This screw-rod 24 not only materially aids in lifting the weight ofthe IOO tub and the water that may be contained therein, but it also serves to steady the tub and relieve the lifting-screw 17 of undue lateral strain.

In the bottom of the tub are outlet-openings 27 28, one being located at each side of the partition when said partition is in place. These outlets 27 28 communicate with the discharge-pipe 29, xed to the tub, which telescopes into a fixed pipe 30, which has connection with the sewer or other point of drainage.

Hot and cold Water supply pipes 3l 32 are connected with the tub and are movable therewith. As here shown, these pipes 31 32 are extendedv through the flange 25. The pipe 31 is provided at its upper end with a cut-'off valve 33, and the pipe 32 is provided at its upper end with a cut-off valve 34. These cutoff valves are connected in common with aA discharge-spout 35 by means of a connectingpipe 36. The discharge-spout 35 is mounted to turn in the pipe 36, so that said spout may be moved to a position to discharge water into the tub at either side of the partition 2, and obviously by thus connecting the controlling-valves hot and cold water mixed may be discharged through the spout or one valve may be cut o, so that only cold water or hot water will be discharged. The lower portion of the pipe 31 is movable vertically in a fixed supply-pipe 37, and the lower portion of the pipe 32 is also movable in a fixed su pply-pipe 38. To prevent leakage, suitable stungboxes 39. are provided at the upper ends of the pipes 37 and 38.

To limit the upward movement of the tub, I provide a stop, here shown in the form of a rod 40, which passes upward from the base 15 into a vertical opening in the pillar-block. The inner end of this rod 40 has a head 41,

designed to engage with the bottom wall ofV the opening in the pillar-block when the tub is in its raised position.

From the above description the operation of the device will be well understoodthat is, when the tub is to be used for bathing purposes it is to rest in its lowermost position, and of course the partition 2 is to be removed. When the tub is to be used for laundry purposes, it is to be elevated and the partition placed in position4 to form two washtubs, one of which may be used for washing the clothing and the other for the rinsing-water.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A tub, a pillar-block on which said tub is mounted, a casing in which the pillar-4 ceases in said pillar-block, a screw-rod having gear connection with said screw, the said screwrod being connected to the tub, and a stop for limiting the upward movement of the tub, substantially as specified.

3. The combination with a tub, of a pillarblock on which said tub is mounted, a casing in which the pillar-block is movable vertically, a web-and-channel connection between the pillar-block and casing, a lifting-screw engaging in said pillar-block, a stop to limit the upward movement of the tub, means comprising a screwrod,'connected with the tub, and gearing for rotating said screw and a shaft supporting one of the gears and with which the screw-rod has sliding connection, substantially as specified.

4. A tub, a pillar-block on which said tub is mounted, a screw engaging in said pillarblock, a screw rod, a pipe in which said screw rod is mounted to rotate, a shaft mounted to rotate in the lower end of said? pipe and having a longitudinal opening angular in cross-section to receive the similarlyshaped end of the screw-rod, a pinion on said shaft, a pinion on the first-named screw, and a gear-wheel connecting said two pinons, substantially as speciied.

5. A convertible tub, a pillar-block on which said tub is mounted, a lifting-screw engaging in said pillar-block, an interiorly-threaded pipe or tube at one side of the tub, an operating-screw engaging in said pipe or tube, and gear connections between said operatingscrew and the lifting-screw, substantially as specified.

6. A tub, mounted to move in a vertical plane, water-supplypipe sections extended up at one side of the tub and rigidly connected thereto, a connection between the upper ends of said pipes, a discharge-spout arranged on said connection, and fixed waterpipe sections into which the first-nam ed pipe-sections are adapted to telescope, substantially as specified.

7. A tub, movable in a vertical plane, means .for moving said tub vertically, waterpipe sections rigidly connected to the tub, xed water-pipe sections with which the firstnamed sections telescope, a Swingin g discharge-pipe section rigidly connected to the tub, and a 'fixed discharge-pipe section in which the first-named dischargepipe section is adapted to telescope, substantially as speciied.

8. The combination with a tub, of a pillarblock, comprising an upper and a lower section, the upper section being integral with the tub, a casing in which said pillar-block is vertically movable, a screw engaging the said pillar-block for raising and lowering the same, and means for operating saidscrew,

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